Finding the Best and Cheapest Places to Buy IAMS Dog Food in the USA

Knowing the best and cheapest places to buy IAMS dog food can allow you to regularly buy your pet food that is great for their health without needing to travel far or spend a fortune. IAMS dog foods have a lot of benefits however they may not be available for everyone. That's why, in this article, we take a look at where you can get IAMS products inexpensively and we look at general ways to get cheaper dog foods regardless of the brand you choose.

About the IAMS Brand

IAMS is an increasingly popular brand of pet foods, specifically dog and cat foods. More and more people are becoming concerned about the health of their pets and are realizing that a pet's diet is just as important as a human's. IAMS meets this rising demand for healthy pet food by making a variety of products aimed at pets with health conditions or those who need a more careful diet. This food comes from extensive research into pet health and the brand has brought forward more natural carnivore-friendly foods that steer clear of problem additives like corn wheat. Most of the foods are made from either wet or dry chicken, beef, fish or other meats with additional protein rich foods as filler.

Dogs are Primarily Carnivores

Dogs are primarily carnivores but as scavengers they will eat plant matter when they have no other options. Because of this most pet food kibbles and even wet foods contain vegetables and other plant matter such as wheat. Normal vegetables have very little positive effect on canines and things like wheat can actually have distinct negative effects. The high carbohydrate content of wheats are not able to be processed well by the canine digestive system and it can cause them to become overweight or to develop digestive problems. Some biscuits use rice as a filler and these can be okay if balanced out with occasional (weekly) fresh meat and bones. However, if you can afford biscuits or wet foods made exclusively from canine friendly foods then you should do so as it can be of great benefit to your pet's health and well-being.

The Cheapest Stores to Buy Your Dog Food

You have quite a few options when it comes to buying your IAMS or other branded pet foods. The biggest issue with knowing which is the cheapest place for you to buy is that prices can vary a lot in different towns, even when comparing the same stores or brands. This means that you will have to do a lot of your own legwork in comparing prices in your local stores. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow and some stores are known to be generally cheaper. It's pretty much what you would expect as well; bulk stores like Wal-Mart are typically cheaper per pound than specialty pet food stores (even when dealing with the exact same product).

General Guidelines for Saving Money on Your Pet Food

There are a few things that you can do to make sure you are always getting a good deal regardless of where you decide to purchase your dog foods. The following are some general rules and tips you should try to follow.

Compare Prices By Same Weights - Most shops will now display prices per a standard weight measurement. This could be by the pound or by the ounce or it could even use grams. Liquids will instead use volumetric measurements and other items will use a 'per item' measurement. The best thing you can do to accurately compare prices is to convert everything to the exact same measurement. Comparing prices by the pound will let you compare differently sized bags of food to find which is actually the cheapest. If the price per pound is listed in the store then this is nice and easy. However, some stores don't do this so you should bring a calculator along with you whenever you shop.

Compare By Ingredients - Sometimes more expensive pet food companies have very similar ingredients in similar quantities within their food. Looking at the back of the packaging will allow you to compare these ingredients and their quantity in the food. If two brands have very similar or the same meat to rice to vegetable ratios then you should opt for the cheaper brand. However, don't neglect things like cheaper companies treating test animals or the environment poorly, as these can make a difference in the relative values of brands.

Don't Be Afraid to Change Brands Often - Some pets will only eat the one brand over and over but the vast majority prefers variety in their diet. Take advantage of this fact by buying brands that are on sale, even if they aren't your regular choice. One week you could be buying products made by Purina and the next you could be buying ones from PetCo. Doing this you can effectively get sale prices every week whilst giving your pet a good variety of feed. This can also mean doing a bit of research to find out which grocery store or pet stores has the best sales each week.

Use Coupons Whenever Possible - Pet companies and supermarkets both love to give out coupons as it's a great way to get customers to try out products they wouldn't normally try. Take advantage of this and save up as many coupons as you can and use them whenever a brand you have a coupon for is on sale. This way you can sometimes effectively double your savings. Some extreme 'couponers' have even managed to do this enough to get products at zero cost occasionally.

Buying Online

Some of the best places to buy IAMS dog foods are actually located online through wholesalers. These online wholesalers typically don't have the overheads that retail stores do and this allows them to sell bulk products at far cheaper prices. Your first option for this is to buy through the IAMS website. They don't ship directly to customers themselves but they do link out to a variety of other sellers that you can buy online from for quite cheap. If you cannot find a suitable price through their website then your next best choice is to buy through Amazon. Amazon has a large collection of cheap wholesalers that you can buy from. The only downside is that stocks for different product lines can vary. Making good use of your previous retail shopping experience and the extra options afforded to you through online wholesalers will ensure that you are always getting the cheapest and best high quality products possible for your pet.